One piece utility box



July 8 1958 L. P. scLoMoN 2,842,178

oNE PIECE UTILITY Box Filed July 22, 1955 United States Patent O ONE PIECE UTILITY BOX Louis Philip Solomon, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 22, 1955, Serial No. 523,706

1 Claim. (Cl. 1150-5) This invention relates to a utility box made of one piece and having a container portion and cover attached by an integral connection.

Among the objects of my invention is to create a utility box formed of one piece of material and having a container cover and attaching portions.

Another object is to provide a utility box molded or otherwise formed of polyethylene plastic, vinyl plastic or other pliable or flexible material.

Another object is to supply a unitary utility box having integral parts which are tough and durable in wear, economical in construction, simple in formation and effective in operation.

My invention has other objects and advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention, yet it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modilication and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l is a top plan view of my one piece utility box; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view; Fig. 3 is a rear elevational View; Fig. 4 is an end elevational view with the cover raised; Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is an inside plan View looking into the container portion.

My utility box comprises a container portion 11, and a cover portion 12 with integral connecting straps 13.

The cover 12 has a reduced step 14 adjacent its margin 15 to permit the cover to slide over the outer edges 16 of body portion 11 down to ridge 17. 'I'he cover 12 has a forward Wedge 18 with slot 19 which slides against button 20 of container 11.

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At the bottom of container 11 are ribs 21 to act as non-slip members when the utility box is used as a soap dish or the like.

My utility box is a one piece item in which all the foregoing portions are integral. My box eliminates separate bottom and top portions and means for attaching them together. My box is preferably formed of polyethylene plastic or vinyl plastic, but may be formed of any plastic, or other pliable or exible material. It is usually formed by molding under heat and pressure in a mold, but may be made in any other convenient process.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A flexible utility box molded of one piece of pliable material selected from a group consisting of polyethylene and vinyl plastics and comprising a body container portion having a closed bottom, front, rear, and side Walls, an open top and an upper marginal rib extending around its rear and side walls and ending short of meeting at the center of its front wall, a button having a shank and a. head, said button located at the center of said front Wall, a cover portion having a closed top, front, rear, and side portions and an open bottom, said back, front, and side portions of said cover having a marginal rim and an interior recess to permit said rim to engage the walls of said container down to said upper marginal rib when the box is in closed position, said cover portion having a front Wedge depending from its 'ont portion with a slot in the wedge to receive the shank of said button when the box is in closed position, said closed bottom of the container portion having on its inside surface a plurality of spaced ribs to act as non-slip members for an inserted article, and three spaced hinges integral with and extending between the rear portion of said cover portion and said upper marginal rib at the rear wall of said container portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,123,650 Anderson Jan. 5, 1915 1,986,057 Hackworth Jan. l, 1935 2,485,028 Bauerneund et a1 Oct. 18, 1949 2,687,157 Cowan Aug. 24, 1954 2,704,075 Cherkin Mar. 15, 1955 2,736,428 Wenger Feb. 28, 1956 2,777,492 Kikuchi Jan. 15, 1957 

